Mahon: John (Jack)

1929-1935 & WW2 Guest: 1940-1945 (Player Details) (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Outside Right

Born: Gillingham: 08-12-1911

Debut: v Plymouth Argyle (a): 30-01-1932

5’8” 11st 13lb (1935)

Mahon served Leeds both as a player and a coach. His father, James, had a long association with Gillingham and represented the Southern League against the Football League in 1910. Young Mahon played for New Brompton Excelsior, Doncaster Grammar School and Doncaster Rovers Reserves before joining Leeds in June 1929. His father and uncle also played for Rovers. Mahon could play on either wing, but his career took off only after leaving Leeds for West Bromwich Albion in September 1935. At the Hawthorns he scored thirty-nine times in one hundred and thirteen games and another five in ten F.A. Cup ties. He moved to Huddersfield Town in September 1938 and, despite breaking a leg on his debut, recovered to tour South Africa with the FA in 1939, playing five games at Leeds Road without scoring, but did score in his only F.A. Cup game. During the war he played for Huddersfield and guested for Queens Park Rangers. He also guested with United, scoring ten times in thirty-three appearances. His first game back at Elland Road was against Bradford City in the 1940-41 North Regional League on 16th November 1940 at home at Outside Left in a 6-0 win and he scored. He was also on the mark in his second game against Hull City at Elland Road the following weekend and finished the season with two goals from six appearances. He did not play again until the 1943-44 Football League Northern Section (First Championship) game with Bradford Park Avenue but was back in the Second Championship to play four more games and score in a 2-1 over York City at Elland Road. He featured regularly in the 1943-44 Football League Northern Section (First Championship), when he scored five times and only missed four games and continued in the Second Championship where he played in eight of the first ten games and scored twice, playing his last game in a 0-2 defeat by Bradford Park Avenue on 24th February 1945. He joined York City soon after and scored once in three F.A. Cup appearances. After the War went on to coach in Denmark, with IFK Elsborg from 1947 to 1950, Sweden, with IFK Gothenberg from 1950 to 1954, and Malaya before rejoining Leeds as a coach. He ran a youth club in the Dewsbury Road area at that time. He was also coach to York City and joined Hull City as trainer in 1953-54 before retiring. He died in December 1993 in Hull.